Hello Fellow Hammockers,
I've lurked here for a couple of months now. After getting my Warbonnet Blackbird, my ENO ProFiy Tarp and experiencing my first hammock hang with my son's scout troop, I thought I'd post my experience here and ask a few questions.
The campout occurred at Camp Durant in Carthage, NC. We arrived on Friday evening and my setup was easy. I hung my tarp under my continuous ridge line using carabiners. There was a threat of rain overnight so I hung my daypack off the hammock suspension at the foot end and my duffle bag with clothes at the head end (I don't have a traditional hiking pack yet). The overnight temperature was in the sixties and I slept in a Coleman 30 degree sleeping bag with a Thermarest sleeping pad underneath.
I was nice and warm (a tad too warm) and there was no rain. I did hang my Friday clothes off the ridge line of my hammock and changed into clean sleeping clothes in the hammock.
First question: Where do most of you experienced hangers change? My tarp was a little low, near the hammock, due to the threat of rain so I did slump a bit when getting under the tarp and into the hammock. I changed shirts out of the hammock and still under the tarp but wiggled into dry sleep paints on my back in the hammock.
Saturday morning was dry but the rains finally came around 5 PM. It was a directional rain so while my hammock was dry, the items hanging on the suspension near the ends of the tarp (daypack and duffle bag) were getting wet. I had an extra poncho so I wrapped that around my daypack and wrapped my duffle bag in a garbage bag I took along for dirty clothes. When going to bed Saturday night, I placed my boots in a plastic shopping bag under my hammock.
Second question: How do you keep your gear dry? Do you resort to wrapping it like I did? I've read that several people keep their gear and packs dry under the hammock but I don't envision those items staying dry for my with the ENO ProFly in a directional, wind-blown rain.
The temps dropped into the fifties Saturday night but I was, once again, nice and warm. Luckily it did not rain overnight so my boots were not put to the test in the plastic bag.
My first hang in a hammock was a good one as I was exposed to some challenges. Overall, though, I learned about the advantages of staying above ground in the rain. My sleeping bag and hammock were nice and dry while some scouts and the other leaders dealt with damp and wet sleeping bags in their tents. It was also nice to pack up the hammock and tarp without them touching the ground.
Final Question: Some of the leaders were experience hammock hangers. They used their camp chairs (I forgot mine) to keep their pack on under their hammocks and tarps overnight. Do any of you do that?
I've learned so much from you fine folks. I look forward to learning a great deal more. Thanks.
SoYankee
(Southern Yankee)
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